Monday, November 14, 2005

Acclimation

I know that a few of you are probably putting your bikes away for the winter by now. The next few months are going to be snowy, icy and generally miserable for you (unless you ski, snowmobile, make fantastical snowman scenes or sculpt ice). Meanwhile, you're probably going to be somewhat jealous of me, gleefully riding through January and February.

The thing is, it's cold for me too. It took all of a week and a half for me to get used to living in the desert when I moved down here. When it's only 35 degrees out, I am COLD. Remember that 35 degrees is still a good 70 degrees colder than I'm used to.

This morning, it was 54 degrees out on my way to work. Now with windchill (at 80+ mph wind speed), that is DAMN cold. At least for me.

I'm not saying I'm going to pack it in, as I was still grinning ear to ear even as my nipples ripped holes in my shirt. I'm just saying that the time to get some warmer gear has definitely arrived.

For the time being, I'm going to haul out my trusty army surplus camo jacket. Camo is always fashionable, if not with the hipsters, then with the punks, or the metal heads, and barring those guys, the rat bikers will never snub a guy in greasy camo.

And if anyone asks me if I'm going duck hunting, I'm going to kick them in the shins with my stompy-boots.